Centrifugal clutch



Sept. 20,1927.v 1, ,721

H. 1.. BROOKE v CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH Original Filed Feb. 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 20,1927.

H. BROOKE CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH Original Filed Feb. 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20, 1927. I i 1 UNITED {STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOLMAN LINNELL BROOKE, or BRAiJFoRnnNGLANn.

cENTnrr-"UGAL ctn'rcii.

Original applicatioy'r filed F-ehruaryQO, 1925, Serial No.1 0,673,- and: in Great Britain March 19., 1924, rividea and. this application filed May 4, 1926. serial no. 106,747., V

This invention has reference generally to that class of invention known as clutches and more particularly relates to an improved centrifugal clutch. j

The invention is a ctvi'sion-a1 of my copen-ding application-filed Feb. 20, 1925, Se rial No. 10,613 and although forthe purpose of illustration the clutch is shown in this case as applied to a transmission "gearing it is to be understood that with slight modifications the same may be applied in other connections.-

ft is the primary ainrand object of this invention to provide a 'simplified and im proved construction of a centrifugal clutch.

Briefly the invent on may be saidto consist of a rotatable-driving member having masses or weighted bodies therein which present a wave-like peripheral surface for coacting with antifriction means suchas rollers interposed between said masses or weighted bodies and the driven member.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the claims. Y.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an improved clutch device applied to an infinitely variable gear, I

Fig. 2 is asectional elevatlon on the 11116 2'-2 of Fig. 1, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are views at right angles to one another of an operating mechanism for association with the clutch device whereby the gear may be placed in neutral or reverse.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

I provide between rings or discs a, 6, se cured to the hollow driving shaft 0 with the gear Wheel (Z thereon, bodies 6, f, which may be of the sectional shape shown in Figure 2, and which present practically a continuous peripheral surface to rollers g interposed between themselves and the drivenmember h. The said bodies have their mass concentrated so that the action of centrifugal force will tend to move them in radial directione apposed to one another. The rings diets iihave slots or grooves i; g;

bodies 6 feXtend so as to act as key ensuring' the rotation of the weights with the discs a, 79, whilst allowing radial movement of the weights under centrifugal force and therein, into which parts of the weighted Such crest or, wave projects an amount which does-not exceed theversed sineof half the angle subtended by thewave, the versed sine being taken about the center of gravity of the weight. It will be seenthat as the waves make contactwith the rollers g, the weights 6 and f will be forced inwards against the action of centrifugal force. The springsoztend to hold theweights 6 and f intheir extended positions.

The, driving membermhas a gear wheel a thereon. Such'wheel meshes with the planet wheels 0 of an epicyclic or differential gear; the other planet wheels 31? mesh with the sun wheel "kl before 'referredto driven shaft q is connected to the, spindles rpcarrying the planet pinions' 0, 79. The endsof'the spindles 1' form a drivingmeans for the clutch plate a which. is adapted to be brought into engagement with the side member-t which along with the side member it support and are secured tothe driven ring h-of the infinitely variable gear unit.

press against the rollers 9 under the influence of centrlfugal force and, by reason :which is connected to the-infinitely variable I gear construction previously described. The

i In action, the weighted bodies 6 and f of the wave-like formation of the periphery ofthe weights 6 and f, rotary impulses are imparted to the driven member h when the crests of the waves are in contact with the equal the energy transmitted from the driving side. The rotation of h is imparted to shaft 9 through clutch plate 8 and pins 1".

If clutch plate 8 is released from plate a neutral position is obtained in which the planet wheels 0 and p revolve idly on the pins 7" and no power can be transmitted from m to 9, but if in addition to the release of clutch plate 8, the member h be locked against rotation, the impulses generated as the crests of the waves on the weighted bodies 6 and f make contact with the rollers g, create equal reaction impulses in the pins rand thereby rotate the said pins 1 and therefore the shaft 9' about the common centre of rotation in a reverse direction to the rotation of the-bodies e and f.

The differential gear may be of any suitable proportions, but preferably it is so proportionedthat variations of speed vof the driven element 9 cause inverse variations of speed of the shaft 0. 7 Thus, if the speed of qdecreases, the speed 'of 0 increases independently of the speed of the shaft m. With this arrangement, the speed of the weighted bodies a and f is a function of the speeds of both the driving side and the driven side, and thus for a constant resistance in Q a constant speed of e and f can be obtained in'conjunction with variations of the speed of m equivalent to variations of the speed of g from a maximum to zero;

In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lever w fulcrumed at o is adapted to operate the clutch plates to and 8. The

' first portion of the downward movement of the lever 02 presses the plate to towards the side u (Figure 1) of the infinitely variable gear and the pushers 7 against the plate 8. The latter is removed from engagement with the side 25 of the infinitely variable gear before the clutch plate to engages the side u.

Further movement of the lever m'causes the plate to to engage the side u to bring the part it of the gear to rest whilst still. holding the plate .9 clear of the side If of the gear 2 indicate the springs of the clutch plate 8.

It will be understood that when the weighted bodies are being rotated and their crests are moving between the rollers g, no resistance is offered to such rotation nor to the outward movement of the weights to their full extent under centrifugal action.

V l. A centrifugal clutch of the; character described, comprising a rotating driving member, weighted bodiesmounted thereon and presenting a wave-like peripheral surface, a driven member, and rollers iinterposed between the weighted bodies andthe driven member so that 1 movement of the driving member relative to the driven memher results in radial movement ofsaidcweighted bodies against the action of centrifugal force, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 1

A centrifugal clutch of the character described including a driving member embodylng two side plates,'av pair of sem1- cylindrical weighted bodies slidably carried between the plates in such manner that they rotate therewith and move under centrifugal action, theperipheral surface of each body y.

having a wave-like portion thereon, an an nularv driven member, and a plurality of rollers interposed between the periphery of the weighted bodies and the driven member.

In testimony whereof I affix mv'signatureh V HOLMAN LINNELL, BROOKE. 

